Editorial Area residents responded for neighbors after 1969 flood

The front page of Monday and today's Times-Gazette has been dominated by our two-part series looking back 40 years at the "July 4th Flood of 1969."

It's arguably the biggest natural disaster to hit our area since the "really big one" -- the Flood of 1913. But most of us weren't around for that one.

The actual flooding of the "July 4th Flood" occurred in the early morning hours July 5. But the ferocious storms that produced heavy downpours and almost constant lightning bursts all through the night began in the evening of July 4 as many folks were returning home from Fourth of July fireworks displays. Thus it will always be remembered as the "July 4th Flood."

It's one of those events that if you were alive then, you most likely have vivid memories.

That's why we asked our readers to share their memories and pictures of the July Fourth flood. And you responded with wonderful letters and pictures sharing your memories of that night and the ensuing difficult days. It's our hope that this package will help preserve your stories of that dramatic week for future generations.

Three lives were lost in Ashland County. Looking at the pictures and reading witness accounts, it's amazing the death toll wasn't higher given the surprise and intensity of the overnight storm and subsequent flooding.

It's hard to fathom the 110 million gallons of water sweeping down the Jerome Fork that were unleashed when the dam broke at the old Ashland Reservoir northeast of town. One of the most dramatic rescues occurred on Interstate 71 at U.S. 250 when a New York family's car got caught in that rush of water.

Between the dam break and water main breaks along surging Town Creek, Ashland lost a third of its water supply and what was left was unsafe for drinking because of contamination.

Down south, many holiday campers along the Mohican River lost their cars and trailers to the raging river. As Trudy Knowlton-Bates, who was 10-years-old at the time, wrote, "I was in shock seeing camper upon camper just flying down the river like it was an interstate, only there were no vehicles hooked onto them."

The reader stories are vivid and rich with detail. But what is perhaps most impressive is how in the face of this disaster, people pulled together to help each other in any way possible. That came through in their stories time and time again.

In the Loudonville area, residents gathered up a truckload of clothing, shoes and other supplies that they took to Killbuck in Holmes County, which was hit even harder by the flooding.

The Ashland Police Department sent four officers to Wooster to help out where nine people were killed, including two police officers. The Mansfield Police Department in turn sent four officers and two cruisers to Ashland to help out.

Dairies and soda bottlers bottled safe drinking water for distribution to residents and F.E. Myers Co. supplied water pumps and 300-gallon water tanks around the city.

But one story seemed to especially exemplify the compassion of neighbor helping neighbor in the most trying of times.

Carol Cutlip, who was living with her husband, James, in Jeromesville at the time, went to the little grocery store on the square to get milk for her 8-month-old daughter, Joy. But when she got there, the shelf was empty.

"A sweet little lady by the name of Alice Ables was in the store at the time and heard me say I needed milk for our baby," Carol wrote. "She handed me a gallon of milk that she had just purchased, saying our baby needed it more than she did. What a wonderful blessing she was!"

Ashland County's July Fourth 1969 Flood was an example of how in a community's worst of times, the best of people usually shines through.

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